Henslow, professor of botany at Cambridge, was Darwin's mentor. He greatly developed Darwin's knowledge of natural history in his student years. Darwin said Henslow "influenced my whole career more than any other." From 1829 to 1831 Darwin constantly used Henslow's Catalogue of British Plants, which was based on his "collations" or comparative collections of plant specimens.

Arum maculatum is a common woodland plant species, widespread across temperate northern Europe. It is known by an abundance of common names including Wild arum, Lords and Ladies, Jack in the Pulpit, Devils and Angels, Cows and Bulls, Cuckoo-Pint, Adam and Eve, Bobbins, Naked Boys, Starch-Root and Wake Robin.